Schools get summer cleaning

COSTA MESA — While teachers enjoy their summer break and kids make the most of their freedom, Newport-Mesa schools are getting fixed, spruced up and cleaned.

“[Summer] tends to be when we make the biggest mess,” said Tim Marsh, the district’s administrative director of facilities support services.

At Tuesday night’s school board meeting, Marsh will present the annual summer project list of work that is being done at each school site.

The summer projects are generally larger and too disruptive to do while school is in session, Marsh said.

“It’s going to mean they’re coming back to a school in better condition than when they left,” he said.

A team of almost 200 building maintenance and operations staff members, who oversee more than 2 million square feet of buildings, will complete the projects, along with deep cleaning, Marsh said.

The itemized list shows the different projects — like painting portables at College Park Elementary, replacing two kindergarten slides at Victoria Elementary and Andersen Elementary’s playground asphalt — and districtwide tasks, such as servicing playground equipment, installing wireless access points and trimming trees.

The high schools are getting the most work done with annual safety projects like servicing bleachers and basketball backboards. There are also routine projects, like rehabilitating a field and refinishing the gym floors.

Corona del Mar High is having its track repaired. Estancia High is getting its theater upgraded with new seating, carpet and paint. Newport Harbor High’s pool locker rooms are being improved.

The summer projects are budgeted at a little more than $1 million, which is less than in previous years, but still more than most districts, Marsh said.

Newport-Mesa is still able to do projects for cosmetic purposes, instead of just trying to keep things from falling apart, he said.

The dedication to funding school maintenance is part of a promise the district made to taxpayers in order to pass two bond measures that they wouldn’t let facilities fall into disrepair again, school board Trustee Dave Brooks said.

It’s important, Brooks said, that schools remain in excellent condition and don’t become a distraction to education.

This is also the first board meeting since embattled Supt. Jeffrey Hubbard returned to work July 5.

Hubbard was on paid administrative leave for more than five months after the board approved his request Jan. 23 in closed session to work on his criminal defense.

He is expected to stand trial in mid-August in Los Angeles County on charges related to his previous post as the Beverly Hills Unified School District superintendent.

If You Go

What: Newport-Mesa Unified School District board meeting

When: 7 p.m. Tuesday

Where: Roderick H. MacMillian Boardroom in the District Education Center, 2985 A Bear St., Costa Mesa.

Information: Check out the entire list of projects and see the entire agenda at https://www.nmusd.us

Online Only

Check out some of the projects that are going on at your school by finding this story at https://www.dailypilot.com.